Sucker-rod coupling.



G. L. PARKER.

SUGKER ROD GOUPLING. APPLIOATION rILm JUNE 25, 1912.

Patented June 17 1913 o m n ,u

CLARENCE LYMAN PARKER, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

woman-'non COUPLING.

To all whom 't may concem:

' Be. it known that I, CLARENCE L. VPARKER, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and Stateof California, have invented a new and useful -Sucker-Rod Coupling, ofwhich the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to improve-` ments in sucker rod couplingsdesigned more particularly for use in deep wells, and its object is toprovide a coupling requiring a minimum of work to produce the coupling',and at the same time form a device particularly adapted for the useintended.

In order that the sucker rods may be conveniently handled they are madein comparatively short sections and are provided with couplings by meansof which the sections may be joined in aliuement to the combined lengthdesired. Difiic-ulty has been encountered in the breaking of the suckerrods at thecouplings due to the weakening of the rod by the cutting ofthreads there on so that the expedient has been employed of enlarging orupsettin; the ends of the rods and then threading them, wherefore thethreaded ends at the bases of the threads are' as thick as, or thickerthan the main body of the rods. Furthermore, in order to provide meansfor-the application of tools by which the rod sections may be screwed uptight or unscrewed from the junction member 'of the coupling, it hasbeen proposed to further enlarge the'threaded end of the rod adjacentthe threads by the application of a sleeve shaped for theapplica- Theseexpedients tion of a suitable tool.

mean considerable work and expense which it is the purpose of thepresent invention to avoid without, however, any sacrifice of theadvantages'due to the heretoforeproposed arrangements. To this end thesucker-rod section throughout except that the ends are threaded in theusual manner without any attempt to first enlarge these ends byupsetting them. There is provided a terminal member for each end of therod of sufliciently larger diameter to nermit the cutting of eX- teriorthreads on one end for entrance into the usual coupling sleeve, whilethe other end is suitably enlarged and' formed with an aXial socketinteriorly threaded to receive the threaded end of the sucker rod andthis socket is counter-bored at its entrance end for a suitabledistance, while the threaded Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed .T une 25, 1912. Serial No. '705,830.

remains of the same diameter' Patented June 17, 1913.

portion of the socket and the threaded end of the sucker rod aresorelated that the counter-bored portion of the socket will receive asuitable length of the smooth unthreaded portion of the sucker rodadjacent the threads. To provide positive connection between the suckerrod and the threaded end extension thereof both the threaded end of therod and the socket end of the eX- tension are suitably heated and acement-ing material, such as solder or spelter is applied, and While thecementing material is in the melted condition the parts are screwed to-,qether, wherefore when the parts have -cooled sufliciently to allow thesolidification of the cenenting material there is a union defying anyforces tending to separate the rod and end extension under conditions ofuse. Mo'reover, the socket portion extends suficiently along the smoothportion of the sucker rod to reinforce this part of the sucker rod sothat the weakening eflect of the cutting of threads on the exterior ofthe sucker rod is completely neutralized. Moreover, the end extension ofthe sucker rod is tapered longitudinally where the socket is formed soas to present no corners liable to catch on the well casng, but allparts are so related that the sucker rod whether being' raised orlowered will readily` ride ofl" from any projection which it mayencounter, while the exterior of the end extension of thesucker rod issuitably shaped, as by flattening or squaring to receive a turningwrench or other tool employed for screwing u'p or unscrewing the suckerrod sections.

The invention will be best understood from a consideration of the'following detailed description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings forming a part of this specification with the furtherunderstanding' that 'while the showing of the drawings is of a practicalform of the inveution, it is susceptible of other practical enbodiments,wherefore the nvention is not confined to any Strict conformity with theshowing of the drawings, but may be changed and modified so long as suchchanges do not mark any material departure froni the salient features ofthe invention.

-In the drawingsz-Figure 1 is an elevation of a sucker rod couplingconstructed in aocordance with the present invention. F-g. 2 is alongitudinal diametric section of the structure shown, in Fig. 1. Fig.-3is an enlarged longitudinal diametric section of one end of a sucker rodand the socket end of the extension thereof showing the cementingmaterial, the proportions being exaggerated for clearness of,illustration.

- Fig. %i is a section on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

` be of any suitable non-circular shape' adapting it for the applicationof a turning wrench or other similar tool. One end of the extensionmember 3 is laterally expanded, as ndicated at 5, the junction portionbengbeveled, as indicat'ed at 5 to avoid any sharp corners. The free endof the expanded portion 5 is entered by an axial socket 6 for anappropriate distance, and the interior of this socket is screw-threaded,as indicated at 7, the screw threads terminating short of the free endof the socket to form a counterbored portion 8 of a diameterapproximately that of the socket at the valleys of the screw threads.The expanded portion 5 tapers, as indicated at 9, toward the open end ofthe socket 6, so that there v are no sharp shoulders present. Extendingthrough one side of'the expanded member 5 is a passage 10 open at oneend to the 'atmosphere and at the other end opening into the socket 6. v

The other end of the extension' member 3, that is the end remote fromthe socket member 5, is screw threaded, as indicated at 11,

this screw threaded portion being adapted to the corresponding ,portionof a'` straight coupling sleeve 12 formed at an appropriate point wth avent 13, and the threaded end 11 of the extension 3 is suficientlextensive to not only enter the coupling s' eeve 12 to an appropriatedistance but to receive a lock nut 14 which may be made of harder ma- Iinto contact.

terial than the'coupling sleeve and the other parts of the coupling soas to resist wear and thereby protect the coupling from the effects ofengagement of the same with the inner walls of the well casing, or otherparts with which the coupling may' come The threaded ends 11 may varysomewhat in length at the opposite ends of the sucker rod section, andin F ig. 2 one of these ends, indicated at 11 is shown as longer thanthe other indicated at .11, and the vent hole 13 is correspondinglylocated.

Each coupling rod *1 or 2, as the case may be, has its ends exteriorlythreaded, such ends being indicated at 15. These rods may be of onediameter throughout and consequently the diameter of the rod at thevalleys of the screw' threads is less than where the screw threads arenot formed. This manner of arranging the screw threads usually resultsin the weakening of the rod at the junction of the threaded portion withthe main portion of the rod and breakage at such point is notinfrequent.To overcome this defect without corres onding increase in the cost ofmanu acture, the threaded end 15 is so proportioned to the socket end 5of the extension 3 that the threaded end 15 may enter the socket 6 untilan ap ropriate proporton of the smoothpart o the rod 1 or 2 will enterthe counterbore 8 before the rod is firmly screwed into the socketi. Toinsure firm connection at this point there is interposed between thethreaded' end 15 and the threads 7 of the socket 6 a layer of cementingmaterial, indicated at 16. This cementing material may consist ofsuitable solder or spelter or any material adapted to the purpose, andto bring about the cementing condition it is customary to heat the partsto a' suflicient temperature, apply the solder to both parts, and thenscrew them together while heated, so that all parts of the threads 7 andthreaded portion 15 are firmly united by solder and -that smooth portionof the sucker rod entering the counterbore 8-is likewise united to thewalls of the counterbore by the solder or other cement. In Fig. 3 of thedrawings 'the thickness of the solder layer may be considered asexaggerated for the purpose of clearness of illustration.

lVhen the parts cool the' sucker rod and its extension 3 are united. Thecementing .material will efl'ectually resist any forces.

tending to unscrew' the sucker rod from the socket end of the extension3 under conditions of use, while the prolongation of the socket memberabout the smooth full diameter portion of the sucker rod adjacent-thethreaded end 15 serves to relieve the threaded end of the rod verylargely from side strains, whereforeall danger of the breakage of therod due to its weakenng because of the cutting of the exterior threadsis wholly eliminated. lVhen it is desirable for purposes of repair 01'for any other reason to dsconn'ect the extension 3 from the sucker rodit is only necessary to apply heat until the cementing material issoftened, when the parts maybe readily unscrewed one from' the other.The requisite heat for the softening of the solder may be readilyobtained by a suitable blow torch or in any other manner desired.

Of course, the solderng or brazing ma:

terial may be applied about the sucker rod 'section after it is screwedinto the socket nember and the brazing material. 'might rod therein by ajet flame, or any other suitable means of uniting the parts may bepractised.

Since the extension 3 is not subjected usually to so much wear as thesucker rod, a single extension or pair of extensions may outlast severalsucker rods, and consequently the expense of the extensions iscorrespondingly reduced. The beveled or tapered portions 5 and 9, andespecially the beveled or tapered portion 9 prevents the catching of thesucker rod on the tubing or any other obstruction. Suppose that inlowering a strin of rods, say six hundred feed in length, such string ofrods should catch on the tubing and be disconnected from the elevator orelevator hook at the surface, the

rods might then slip' ofl from the place' where they caught and falldown through the tubing possibly two thousand feet, thus damagng the rodand putting the operator to considerable expense to recover the rod, andmight even part the tubing. The taper portion 9 should not exceed aboutforty-five degrees and should feather out on the rod into very closeapproach thereto. t

All the other parts of the coupling are more or less beveled or roundedso as not to present any sharp angles, but the bevel or taper 9 beingthe leading point of the coupling in either direction of travel must beproperly beveled to prevent any possibility of catching and to alwaysproperly guide the rod in the tube. The counter-bore 8 is in practice ofabout three-eighths of an inch in axial length, although not confined toany exact length. Its purpose is to prevent the vibration transmittedover the rods 'in a Working stroke from acting upou the threads of thethreaded end 15 to cause crystallization at the junction of the threadedend of the body of the rod with resultant breakage at this point.

What is claimed is 1. A sucker rod comprising two sections, each ofsubstantially even diameter throughout with the ends threaded, anextension for each end of the sucker rod provided at one end with a.laterally enlarged portion having an axial socket therein threaded toreceive the corresponding end of the sucker rod section with the threadsrelated to receive solder when the sucker rod is seated in the socket bysweating the joint so formed, said socket having a counterbore at itsentering end to receive the unthreaded portion of the sucker rocladjacent the threaded end, and said extension being of larger diameterthan the sucker rod and squared for a portion of its length between itsends with the end remote from the socketed end externally screwthreaded, and a straight cou-' pling for the externally threaded ends ofthe extensions of adjoining sucker rod sections, the soeketed end of theextension being separated from the externally threaded end of theextension by the squared portion.

2. A sucker rod comprising two sections, each of substantally evendiameter throughout with the ends threaded, an extension for each end ofthe sucker rod provided at one end with a laterally enlarged portionhav- -ing an axial socket therein threaded to receive the correspondingend of the sucker rod section with the threads related to receive solderwhen the sucker rod is seated in the socket by sweating the oint soforned, said socket having a counterbore at its entering end to receivethe unthreaded portion of the sucker rod adjacent the threaded end, andsaid extension being of larger diameter than the sucker rod and squaredfor a portion of its length between its ends with the end remote fromthe socketed end externally 'screw threaded, and a straight coupling forthe externally threaded ends of the extensions of adjoining sucker rodsections, the socketed end of the extension being separated from theexternally threaded end of the extension by the s'quared portion, andthe externally threaded portion of each extension being ofgreater lengththan sufiicient to enter the coupling and there provided with a nut ofharder material than the rest of the structure and constituting a wearmember for protecting the external surface of the coupling.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have, heretoaflixed my' signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CLARENCE LYMAN PARKER.

Witnesses:

MABEL BRITTON Eus'rrs, L. S. EUSTIS;

